How to Avoid Hiring Remorse in IT Staffing

How to Avoid Hiring Remorse in IT Staffing

How do you avoid hiring remorse in IT Staffing? Hiring is a time-consuming process, and finding  ServiceNow talent is tough. Sometimes someone who looks good on paper and interviews well isn’t the right fit for your company’s culture. On the other hand, someone who doesn’t look as good on paper and doesn’t interview well may be an excellent fit for your company.

10 Tips on how to avoid hiring remorse in IT Staffing:

Milestone has retained 95% of its clients over the past twenty years, and we’ve learned a thing or two about what it takes to attract and retain extraordinary talent. Attracting talented candidates is easy; the hard part is figuring out if the person will be the right fit for your team. We’ve compiled a list of tips and tricks to help guide you through our process.

1. Job Posting

Ensure the job description clearly defines the role with their expected duties and make sure to update it or include a note that the responsibilities are subject to change. There’s nothing worse than going through the interview process and being eager to start work at a place that seems like a great fit, only to find the salary is below what the candidate was expecting and then having to start the entire process over again. So, if your company permits it, include the salary range for the position and benefits, include them because these are massive selling points to job seekers.

2. ServiceNow experiences

Are they skilled in both JavaScript and ServiceNow? They need to be experienced in both.

• Does their knowledge match the ServiceNow platform applications and assigned areas? A good developer on the ServiceNow platform can accomplish almost anything technically.
• Are they well versed in both best coding and business practices? Can they able to optimize business processes to optimize ServiceNow’s platform strengths? An ideal candidate is up to date on best coding and business practices and can create process efficiencies to optimize ServiceNow.
• Do they continue to build on their skillset by seeking ServiceNow Certifications and other training opportunities?

3. Charisma and likeability

Every person at the company represents your brand and your team.

• Are they courteous, professional, and on time?
• How would your most challenging client respond to them?
• Do they seem like someone who would fit in with the rest of the team and enjoy collaborating with them?
• How does their remote environment sound? Do they speak clearly on the microphone? Can the interviewer see the candidate? Have they figured out how to ensure they can be seen and heard over video calls? This is important as well.

4. Hiring is like dating

First dates can be amazing or awful, and everything in between and hiring and interviewing is like dating. Interviews are a way to meet someone and determine if you click with them and if your team will have a good relationship with them. Remember that the candidate is interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them.

• You are the representative of your company, culture, and team. They are trying to determine if this is a match or not, the same as you are.
• Be honest about what the job is like, from the work hours to the type of work and environment. Then, listen to the candidate and have an open conversation with them.
• You want your new hire to be happy and excited about joining your organization, not just “taking a new job.”

5. Branding matters

Everyone has a personal brand. When hiring, we want to add value to our company brand. Odd as it may seem, it’s a key component in avoiding hiring remorse.

• Google the person
• Check their social media and LinkedIn.
  • It’s okay if they don’t have social media or LinkedIn when interviewing for the role, but most hiring managers prefer to see a LinkedIn presence. And most companies will expect the person to create a LinkedIn profile if they don’t already have one and engage with the company and industry professionals upon hire.
• Are they actively involved in industry groups, forums, and communities?
  • If they are, how do they interact online?
    • Are they courteous? Helpful?
    • Does their advice or feedback help solve problems for others?
    • Do they have ties to the ServiceNow community?

6. Never settle

Like buying a car, don’t be afraid to walk away. It’s okay to pass on someone who doesn’t seem like a good fit; it could save you time, money, and headaches.

You may find a candidate who can code in their sleep and offers a great deal of technical insight, but they will HAVE to fit within the team and be able to operate within your business partner portfolio.

This person will become a trusted advisor to others, an ambassador, and a leader or key contributor on projects. However, if they don’t score high on the soft skills – including working well on a team, coachability, and cultural fit – you need to keep looking.

7. Be realistic

It is unlikely that you will find a “master of all.” The ServiceNow platform is an evolving ecosystem and grows broader with each new release. Instead, you might find that rare unicorn of a senior resource with expertise in all platform areas.

One of the most important things is to be conscious of your team’s strengths and weaknesses to find a candidate who will complement your specific team’s skill set.

8. Skills gaps

If you find the perfect personality fit for your team, but the candidate lacks some skill preferences, ask them if they are open to getting up to speed and trained on them. If they, are you can plan and budget accordingly? And your candidate will appreciate your investment in them, and your organization will gain a valuable skill set.

9. Trust but verify

Sadly, even hiring managers must be wary of cyber scammers, and it’s important to keep that in mind when interviewing; always make sure to interview the candidate over video.

Also, you will want to put your candidates through an administrative, low bar, practical set of lab exercises, so they can take an instance and work through it. This ensures they can do what they say they can do because as much as we want to believe everyone is honest, sometimes people try to fake it until they make it to get their foot in the door.

10. Be memorable

Lastly, don’t forget to share a little personality. A good first date involves laughter and mutual interests. You might share the same ideas about how a business process works, attended the same college, or a weekend hobby, whether it be motorcycles, robotics, gaming, surfing, snowboarding, cars, or your kids play the same sports, etc.

We hope you enjoyed learning how to avoid hiring remorse in IT staffing, and don’t forget to keep checking back for the latest news, podcasts, and tips & tricks.